An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A member of a class of young stellar objects of roughly 1 solar mass showing strong → infrared excess emission attributed to → circumstellar disks and found within or close to molecular clouds. T Tauri stars are → protostars in the final stages of formation to become a stable → main sequence star. The nuclear reactions in their core have not yet stabilised and the stars are known for the variability of their brightness. See also → classical T Tauri star, → weak-line T Tauri star.

See also: → T Tauri; → star.